Dr. Ümit Kurt to speak on ‘The Young Turks: Racism and the Construction of National Identity’

Dr. Ümit Kurt will give a presentation on “The Young Turks: Racism and the Construction of National Identity” at 7:30PM on Friday, Nov. 8, 2019, in the University Business Center, Alice Peters Auditorium, Room 191, on the Fresno State campus.

While there is an extensive body of literature addressing the foundations of Turkish nationalism and its racist aspects in the early Republican Era and contemporary Turkey, a significant gap persists in the critical period between 1911-1916, when the existence of the Ottoman Empire was at stake. This talk sets its goal as displaying the racist streak apparent in the construction of Turkish nationalism in this period. It offers an analysis of the fabric of Turkish nationalism and the racist patterns of this fabric through an examination of essays published in the first nine volumes of the journal of Türk Yurdu (Turkish Homeland), the most eminent of the Turkish journals of the time and the intellectual organ of the CUP. It aims to track down the premises and the origins of the historical evolution and the development of Turkish nationalism by analyzing the content of the journal’s writings. Critical scholars of nationalism have argued that race (ırk) and racism are indispensable elements in many forms of nationalism.

Dr. Ümit Kurt received his Ph.D. from the Department of History at Clark University in 2016 and is currently a Polonsky Fellow at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute. He is the author of several monographs and numerous scholarly articles.

The lecture is free and open to the public. Parking is available in Fresno State Lots P6 and P5, near the University Business Center, Fresno State. Parking permits are not required for Friday night lectures.

The talk is co-sponsored by the Armenian Studies Program and The Center for Ethics, Character, and Civic Education at Fresno State.

For more information about the lecture please contact the Armenian Studies Program at 278-2669, visit our website at or visit our Facebook page at @ArmenianStudiesFresnoState.

Share this:

Like this:

Related

The College of Arts and Humanities provides a diverse student population with the communication skills, humanistic values and cultural awareness that form the foundation of scholarship. The college offers intellectual and artistic programs that engage students and faculty and the community in collaboration, dialog and discovery. These programs help preserve, illuminate and nourish the arts and humanities for the campus and for the wider community.

Message from the Dean

Dear Friends,

What an extraordinary spring this has been! Fresno is always so lovely this time of year, with the roses waking up from their winter slumber, azaleas blooming profusely, and annuals carefully planted to dress up even the most modest front yard. Metamorphosis is the very essence of springtime, and it has been remarkable to see how quickly Fresno State transformed its entire education into virtual offerings the week that spring arrived. Faculty, staff, and students have worked incredibly hard to learn new technological skills and to adapt curricular and administrative work to the virtual realm. What used to be assigned, invoiced, taught, turned in, graded, or signed all flows electronically now. More…

SUBMIT YOUR STORY!

Do you have news you would like to share with the community? Let us know!